EXTERNAL WALL INSULATION
It's where our
expertise began.
Before IRS Construction, there was Insulated Render Systems (Scotland).
External Wall Insulation is part of the history of our business and remains one of our deepest areas of practical expertise.
Today, we bring that experience to EWI projects across occupied residential buildings, combining building-envelope knowledge, specialist installation and Principal Contractor delivery to improve performance for the long term.
Experience built on the outside of buildings.
IRS began in Scotland delivering insulated render systems. That meant understanding existing walls, substrates, insulation, fixings, render systems, detailing, weather protection and the hundreds of small installation decisions that determine whether an external wall system performs as intended.
EWI led into more complex building-envelope work. Building-envelope expertise led into façade remediation. Increasing technical and regulatory complexity led to IRS taking greater responsibility as Principal Contractor.
The scope has grown. The practical knowledge underneath it hasn’t gone away.
The fabric comes first. The whole building still matters.
External Wall Insulation reduces heat loss through the building envelope, but performance depends on much more than insulation thickness.
Substrate, interfaces, airtightness, ventilation, moisture movement, detailing and installation quality all affect how the finished building performs.
Our experience combines practical EWI installation with the wider building-performance requirements around it.
Insulation is only effective if the building works with it.
Performance is in the detail.
Boards, fixings, reinforcement, basecoat, render, fire barriers and finishing components need to work together as a specified system. The interfaces with windows, doors, rooflines, balconies, movement joints, services and vents are equally important.
A system can only perform as well as the building it’s attached to allows.
Performance has to be designed, installed and evidenced.
A target U-value is only one part of the job. System choice, substrate, detailing, ventilation, installation quality and competent installers all affect how the finished building performs.
Our EWI delivery is supported by relevant industry accreditations, installer approvals and quality schemes, including BBA-approved installer status, SWIGA, INCA membership, TrustMark and PAS 2035 delivery where applicable.
The right system. Installed the right way.
We work with recognised system manufacturers and technical teams to make sure the selected system is appropriate for the building and that installation follows the required specification and detailing.
Manufacturer relationships support technical queries, inspection, quality assurance and product records throughout delivery.
Installation experience. Principal Contractor responsibility.
IRS understands EWI from the point of installation because that’s where the business began. Today, we combine that practical knowledge with wider Principal Contractor responsibility for design information, materials, people, programme, quality, residents and evidence.
Our directly employed teams and direct procurement keep project management connected to what is actually happening on the wall.
Small details have a long life.
Quality is checked through installation while the work remains visible. Fire-safety details, system interfaces and critical junctions are controlled through procurement, installation and inspection, with evidence captured before they are concealed.
The best time to find a problem is while you can still fix it.
This is where the IRS story started.
Before the business expanded geographically and into increasingly complex remediation, IRS built its reputation delivering EWI and building-envelope projects across Scotland.
Working with Scottish buildings, housing providers and the Scottish Building Standards environment isn’t a new market for us. It’s part of our history.
People live here while we work.
EWI takes place around someone’s home. Scaffolding can affect light and privacy; drilling, fixing and rendering create noise and disruption; work around windows and doors can affect access and ventilation.
Resident Liaison works alongside project delivery so people understand what is happening, when access is needed and where to go with questions or concerns.
Sometimes the wall is only part of the answer.
Experience measured in buildings, not years alone.
Barnes Avenue, Dundee
A new insulated render system across 154 tenement flats for Dundee City Council, 6,800m² of external wall insulation alongside roof upgrades, delivered as Principal Contractor in 18 weeks.
Logie Manor, Aberdeen
Appointed Principal Contractor by Aberdeen City Council, following the completion of phase one: 36 flatted dwellings, external wall insulation, new roofs, balconies and structural repairs.
Advent 2 and 3, Manchester
A £9.7m façade remediation and external wall insulation programme across 242 occupied properties, delivered as Principal Contractor under CDM through the Building Safety Fund.
Bring us in before the design is fixed.
Early involvement gives us the opportunity to challenge buildability, review materials and sequencing, identify delivery risks and understand resident impact while there is still time to do something about them.
SCOTLAND
74 Glencraig Street
Airdrie, North Lanarkshire
ML6 9AS
NORTHERN REGION
Unit 12 Ashburton Park
Trafford Park, Manchester
M17 1EH
SOUTHERN REGION
Unit 3, 362B Spring Road
Southampton
SO19 2PB
Insulated Render Systems (Scotland) Ltd, trading as IRS Construction · Registered in Scotland no. SC441561 · © 2026